The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-10-15
Stories of Lion Tanners.


was torn to Pieces Shaniuion's Frightful
death.
New Yor, Sun.
Paris Ietter.-Another lion-tamer
hrs .-t been devoured. The event
occurred in an out.of.the-way town
OF Bouraes, and, strange enough, while
the man was putting his animals
through their training As most
readers delight in stories of the kind,
went down to Asneres, near Paris,
where Bidel resides, and interviewed
the great lion king On the subject.
Bide has a fine house at Asnieres IN
the Rue de la Comete, near the
Avenue d Argenteuil. lie is now a
rich man. The entrance TO his place
is u large monumental gate, with
stone plasters supporting sculptured
lions heads ON either side. There is
a pretty well trimmed garden, and be-
yond 1t the house, or rather a French
country chateau, built IN fairly good
taste, after the manner OF what our
modern French architects call the
stvle OF Louis MIL
The owner OF this fine property re-
reived me very courteously, as most
Frenchmen know how. Noticed that
The walls OF the room in which we con
versed were copied all over with GENT
me Gobelus tapestry. On peeplng IN
TO the dning-room caught sight
OF the dressers and sideboards, which
L.. IL Il. nd Va 30
pottery. The tall ood'carved chm
new i'm the background had been mag
nifcently decorated 10y Rosa Bonheur,
tine renowned French artist, with rep
resentations OF "Nero" and "Sutan,"
Bdel's pet lions. -,
Bidel is a stout, thick-set man, with
a dark eye, jet-black hair, and pow
eliul, sturdy frame In the autumn
OF last year he was mangled by suit
an. He has now fairly recovered
from the shock his nerves sustained
on chat occasion, but still retains n
lively sense OF the danger TO which he
was exposed; so much so, IN TACT, tn at
he has given mp all idea OF again enter.
ing Sutan's cage, or, indeed, that oil
any other OF the wild beasts which 90
to make up his really fine collection
OF animals.
al was born in Rouen in 1910, said
the tanner, land am consequently
forty-seven years OF age. My mother
kept a stroiling menagerle, ana we
Travelled tor many years over France
and Italy, after which we came up to
Paris. began the training OF ami
mails in my youth, and entered lions
cage for the first time when mere
stripping. 30 you see ! was born
and bred to the business, and have
had opportunities from infancy to
study the habits and tempers OF all
sorts OF wild beasts, n thing seldom al
forled to most of those who follow my
profession" ~ -,
ais there any difficulty in finding
men who have not had those advan-
tages to perform with lionsY"
mo: some one or other turns up oc'
casionally who is able to do 1t. But
il is easy for us to see IRON the style OF
the performance whether n man has
been bred to it or not
How long does it take before man
and beast are fit to appear npublicT'
.1t depends n great deal on the man,
and i'm a measure with the animal he
has to work with. Now, there is
Alexiano, my pupil, who has thor
ouphlv daunted that almost irreclaim-
ably fierce lion, Sultan, by whom
was nearly torn to pieces last TALL
From the first hour he entered the
CAGE he got complete control over the
brute, and accomplished in few days
what might have required as many
months in another. He il one OF the
most logged, unfinching tanners
have ever met. all Drawn and sinew'
and as stout hearted as an elephant
He was born at Orleans, and Is by
seven years or so my iuniorT
would you. it the occasion required
enter cage OF strange lions and per
form with themy"
Certainly; have done so on more
than one OCCASION.
Have you ever ielt nervousY"
"Why, yes, more especially on &C
count OF the feas'"
"Bnt you must have experienced
some apprehension, surely, when YOU
were mauled Nv Sultan?"
Had ! given way to the slightest
touch OF fear on that occasion
should not he here to talk the matter
over with you. When a man begins
to feel qualmish it is high time HI
should gave up lion-taming."